The Scottish Wars of Independence were not a single conflict, but a series of wars, rebellions, and periods of uneasy peace that stretched across six decades. This epic struggle forged the very identity of the Scottish nation, pitting a determined kingdom against a powerful medieval empire. It is a story of catastrophic defeat, legendary guerrilla warfare, and ultimate triumph, defined by iconic figures like William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. Here is the timeline of how Scotland fought for and won its freedom.
The Prelude to War (1286-1296)
- 1286: King Alexander III of Scotland dies after falling from his horse. His sole heir is his infant granddaughter, Margaret, the “Maid of Norway.”
- 1290: The young Margaret dies en route to Scotland, leaving the throne vacant and plunging the nation into a succession crisis. As many as thirteen “Competitors” put forward claims.
- 1292: King Edward I of England, known as the “Hammer of the Scots,” is invited to arbitrate. He chooses John Balliol, a claimant with the strongest legal right but whom he believes he can control.
- 1294-95: Edward demands Scottish men and money to fight his war in France. The Scots refuse and instead negotiate the Auld Alliance with France, a treaty that would shape European politics for centuries.
- 1296: Balliol renounces his homage to Edward. In response, Edward storms Scotland. He sacks the trading town of Berwick-upon-Tweed in a brutal massacre, then defeats a large Scottish army at the Battle of Dunbar. King John Balliol is publicly humiliated, stripped of his royal insignia, and imprisoned in the Tower of London. Edward seizes the Stone of Destiny from Scone Abbey, symbolically claiming Scotland as his own. The First War of Independence begins.
The Great Rebellion (1297-1305)
- May 1297: A knight’s son, William Wallace, emerges from obscurity, killing the English Sheriff of Lanark. This act sparks a widespread popular uprising.
- Summer 1297: Wallace joins forces with Andrew Moray, another rising leader. Together, they besiege English strongholds across Scotland.
- September 11, 1297: Against all odds, Wallace and Moray’s force of spearmen defeat a larger, professional English army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. They used brilliant tactics, waiting for a large portion of the English to cross the narrow bridge before attacking, trapping them against the river. Moray died later from wounds sustained in the battle.
- Late 1297 – 1298: Wallace is knighted and appointed Guardian of Scotland. He leads a destructive raid into northern England.
- July 22, 1298: Edward I returns with a massive army. He confronts Wallace at the Battle of Falkirk. Wallace’s schiltrons (dense spear formations) held firm against cavalry, but were decimated by Edward’s longbowmen. The Scottish army was crushed, and Wallace resigned as Guardian.
- 1299-1304: The war continues under a new set of Guardians, including Robert the Bruce and John Comyn. It becomes a war of sieges and raids, with the Scots avoiding pitched battles.
- 1304: Most Scottish nobles, including Bruce, submit to Edward.
- August 1305: William Wallace is captured near Glasgow, taken to London, and executed for treason with brutal cruelty. His resistance made him a martyr and an eternal symbol of Scottish defiance.
The Bruce Revolt and Triumph (1306-1314)
- February 1306: In a fateful meeting, Robert the Bruce murders his rival for the throne, John Comyn, in a church in Dumfries. This act of sacrilege made him an outlaw to both the English and the Church.
- March 25, 1306: Bruce is crowned King Robert I of Scotland at Scone.
- 1306-1307: Bruce’s reign begins disastrously. He is defeated at Methven and Dalrigh, and his female relatives are captured and imprisoned. He flees into hiding, possibly in the Hebrides or Ireland. The legend of him drawing inspiration from a persistent spider originates from this low point.
- 1307: Bruce returns and begins a brilliant guerrilla campaign. He wins small but significant victories at Glen Trool and Loudoun Hill, using the terrain to negate English cavalry superiority. Edward I dies en route to another campaign against Bruce, leaving his less capable son, Edward II, on the throne.
- 1308-1313: King Robert systematically clears Scotland of its English-held castles, not by lengthy siege, but by stealth and surprise. His forces capture key strongholds like Perth, Edinburgh, and Roxburgh.
- 1314: Bruce besieges Stirling Castle, the last major English stronghold. The English constable agrees to surrender if not relieved by midsummer. This forces Edward II’s hand, drawing a massive English army north.
- June 23-24, 1314: The Battle of Bannockburn. Over two days, Bruce’s smaller, highly disciplined army outmaneuvers and defeats the English. On the first day, Bruce famously fells an English knight in single combat. On the second day, the English cavalry are funneled into boggy ground and shattered by Scottish schiltrons. It was a decisive victory that effectively re-established Scottish independence.
Securing Sovereignty (1315-1328)
- 1315-1318: Bruce launches raids deep into northern England to pressure King Edward II. He also campaigns in Ireland, installing his brother Edward as High King in a failed attempt to open a second front.
- 1320: The Scottish nobility send a letter to Pope John XXII in Avignon. This document, the Declaration of Arbroath, is a powerful justification for Bruce’s kingship and a timeless statement of national sovereignty. Its most famous line reads: “For as long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule. It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom – for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.”
- 1327: Edward II is deposed and murdered. His son, the 14-year-old Edward III, becomes king.
- 1328: Weary of war, the English regency agrees to terms. The Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton is signed. England formally renounces all claims of superiority over Scotland and recognises Robert the Bruce as the rightful king. To seal the peace, Bruce’s son David marries Edward III’s sister. The First War of Independence is over.
The Second War of Independence (1332-1357)
- 1332: With Bruce dead (1329) and his son, the 5-year-old David II, on the throne, English-backed nobles known as the “Disinherited” (those who had lost lands after Bannockburn) invade. They defeat a larger Scottish force at the Battle of Dupplin Moor.
- 1333-1337: Edward III of England, now pursuing his own claim to the Scottish throne, openly supports the Disinherited. He defeats a Scottish army at the Battle of Halidon Hill, a devastating repeat of Falkirk where English longbowmen once again cut down Scottish schiltrons. He places Edward Balliol, son of King John, on the throne as a puppet king. Scotland is once again under threat.
- 1330s-1340s: A new Guardian, Sir Andrew Murray, leads a successful guerrilla campaign, mirroring Bruce’s tactics. One by one, he recaptures Scottish castles.
- 1346: King David II, now grown, invades England while Edward III is away in France. He is defeated and captured at the Battle of Neville’s Cross, a catastrophe for Scotland.
- 1357: After eleven years of captivity, David II is finally ransomed for a huge sum. The Treaty of Berwick ends the Second War, restoring the border and the status quo, but leaving Scotland with a heavy financial burden.
The Wars of Independence concluded with the Scottish kingdom intact, its sovereignty hard-won and fiercely defended. The legacy of this struggle—of resistance against a powerful neighbour and the fight for the right to self-governance—would forever be at the heart of the Scottish national story.